Nine dead as business jet crashes into Florida roadside: US official - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Nine people on board a private jet have died after it crashed in a residential area in Florida.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says it was heading from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.

The US Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the cause.

US officials say a small private jet has crashed into a southern Florida neighbourhood killing all nine people aboard.

The Learjet 60 erupted into a giant fireball when it crashed near a busy road at 12:50pm on Sunday, local time.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement on X: "Today's plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida is a horrific tragedy."

The crash left a flaming crater in the ground. (Supplied: Eduin Cruz/via Reuters)

The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Authorities did not immediately say what caused the crash or who was on board.

Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said it was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.

The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation. (AP: Mark Elias)

Video from cars captured the moment the aircraft plunged from the sky before striking near the road and exploding.

Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.

It was unclear if the crash damaged nearby homes.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office closed roads in both directions and urged motorists to avoid the area. Firefighters and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene.

A woman working nearby said electricity in the area had been out for about two hours after the incident.

The circumstances of the crash are under investigation.